Ghost of You
by chocoholicannanymous
Summary: Rachel's certain there's a ghost in the loft. Kurt doesn't believe in ghosts, but he doesn't mind what this one causes.
1. Ghost of You

Disclaimer: I own nothing except an overactive imagination and way too many plotbunnies.

 **Ghost of You**

Kurt's a rational human being. Well, somewhat. He's also a performer, which is steeped in superstition, and works with people in the fashion business, which is more of the same. And of course, there's Finn, and the superstitions that comes with sports.

Still. He considers himself rational. And he definitely draws the line when it comes to believing in supernatural beings, like say ghosts. He doesn't believe in the whole afterlife package at all, not heaven, not hell, and not ghosts.

You live, you die, you're gone. End of story. The rest is fairytales meant to comfort those left behind.

So when Rachel bursts in at 6 freaking 20 AM, waking him up with tales of a ghost in the loft? Kurt wouldn't have taken it well even without the shaking or the high-pitched noises.

(Yes, he'd known what he signed up for, but goddammit. He'd pulled an allnighter at , only coming home at 4:30, and Rachel had known it.)

"There are no such things as ghosts, Rachel. And the next time you wake me up like this – after less than two hours of sleep, by the way – telling some crazy story, just because you want me awake to critique your pre-school practice," which she's asked before, several times, "I am going to prove it, by killing you. Now get out of my bedroom, and be quiet."

The huffing that accompanies Rachel's stormout is probably impressive, but Kurt doesn't care. He doesn't have to get up for another four hours, and so he won't. Rachel will just have to deal.

She's demonstratively upset with him all day, and then the next morning she pulls the same stunt again. Of course, since she technically waits until he's up, he can't follow through on the killing her threat. Doesn't stop him from repeating it though.

That night Rachel doesn't come back to the loft, and when Kurt texts her to ask he gets a terse reply about not wanting to deal with the ghost – or him. Fine, whatever.

And naturally that's when **he** hears it. Hollow, whining sounds, followed by soft banging and scratching. Kurt can kind of understand why Rachel thought "ghost", except for how **they don't exist**. So, rational human being as he is, Kurt investigates.

It takes him the better part of an hour to find the source of the noises, and when he does Kurt wishes he'd listened to Rachel's paranoia. Because it's not a ghost, obviously, but instead a starved cat somehow trapped behind a chimney grate.

It's the work of no time, practically, to open it up (Kurt's once more grateful for having a proper toolbox with him) and get the cat out. It's scared, and smelly, but it's also eager to get out. When Kurt carries it into the bathroom and closes the door the car is not happy, but once he returns with food and water he's instantly forgiven.

When Rachel returns the next morning Kurt's reading on the couch, purring and clean cat on his lap.

"What's that?"

"It's a cat, Rachel. Do you need to get your eyes checked?"

She huffs again, clearly still not over the imagined slight.

"I mean, what is it doing here?"

And well, Kurt's not going to tell her it's her ghost. After all, he just had a quiet evening to himself, all because of some sounds. Sounds that are, in fact, easy enough to reproduce if he feels like getting rid of his roommate for the night again.

"I found it, trapped in the alley. None of the neighbors recognize him, and so I've decided I'm going to keep him. Rachel, meet Salieri. Salieri, Rachel."

Just like that there are three inhabitants in the loft. And if Rachel keeps insisting there's also a ghost, well. Kurt and Salieri will just share smirks and tell her, again, that really Rachel, ghosts don't exist.

~The End ~


	2. Modus Operandi

Disclaimer: I own nothing except an overactive imagination and way too many plotbunnies.

 **Modus Operandi**

Salieri doesn't like Blaine.

Kurt doesn't notice at first, because Salieri is being, well, Salieri. He always hides when someone comes to the loft, always. Even when it's Kurt, or when he's with Kurt.

It had only taken Salieri two days after officially moving in to develop an MO: when the doorbell rings, or the door to the loft opens, Salieri hides. If it's someone he likes, or if he becomes curious, then he comes out. If not, he stays in hiding until that person leaves.

(And if Kurt's blaming Rachel, and some of her visitors, for this development, at least he's not doing so out loud.)

As for touching him... Safe to say, Salieri is really picky about who gets to touch him and who doesn't. He'll allow Santana to stroke him for a minute or so, but Rachel is limited to ten seconds – and only when bribed with food. He won't get within ten feet of Brody.

It's become a joke with some of Rachel's friends that Kurt doesn't really have a cat, just food-bowls and a litter-box for fun. (Kurt fails to see the joke, in any of it, but. He keeps quiet to keep peace in the loft.)

People who stay long enough do tend to see a streak of black fur though, as Salieri races from Kurt's "room" to the litter-box, and then back.

When Kurt's dad shows up out of the blue for Christmas it takes Salieri five minutes to decide he's worth checking out, and then another two to declare him worthy of acting as a cushion. As Kurt walks out the door to go retrieve his mysterious gift his dad's watching a game on the couch with a lap-full of purring cat. It's a nice sight.

There's no sign of Salieri when Kurt returns, Blaine in tow. Which is as expected. Now, the question is if Salieri will come out again, and if so how he'll react to Blaine. Kurt will admit to being very curious about the answer.

The twin yowls startle Kurt out his cooking zen. In two months he's never heard Salieri sound like that, and why on Earth is Blaine screaming as well? He drops everything to run, only to come to a stunned halt when he sees Blaine storm towards him with his hands held out. His scratched and bloody hands.

"That cat of yours is a menace! A monster! Look what it did!"

Wait, what?

"How can you live with that running around? You should take it to a shelter or something." Blaine looks down at his hands, muttering "I'm going to have to find a doctor, aren't I, that thing probably has all kinds of diseases."

"Blaine? Are you saying Salieri scratched you? Because he's **never** done that before, not to anyone."

And no, a couple of small scratches when Kurt got Salieri unstuck that first day doesn't count.

" **Yes**. And I find that hard to believe, considering it attacked me at once."

And that just makes no sense. Salieri doesn't even show himself to most people, and he didn't even come out to greet Kurt, so why would he come out only to attack someone he's never even seen before, completely breaking his MO?

"How? I mean, honestly? How did you even get close enough to him for that to happen in the first place? Salieri tends to hide from strangers."

"I went to look at it, obviously. To say hello or something. After all, I have no intention of staying a stranger. So, I wanted to see the cat, let it get used to me."

And that makes a little sense, sure, only the thing is, Salieri's hiding place? It's a nest underneath Kurt's bed, created from a cardboard box and old blankets. There is absolutely no reason to believe he'd have gone anywhere else.

That means Blaine had to have gone into Kurt's private area, had snooped around until he found Salieri, and then reached in to grab him.

And that simply isn't okay.

"So what you're saying is that you invaded Salieri's safe space – and not just his, but mine too – and tried to force him out, and that's what got you clawed up."

Blaine opens his mouth, to protest presumably, but Kurt's not here for that.

"You still haven't grasped the concept of respecting boundaries, have you? Why am I even surprised? If you treated a human being the way you just did Salieri, they'd hurt you too.

"Just, don't. This is my home, mine and Salieri's, and you're a guest here – an uninvited one to boot. I'm not going to kick you out, not now, but you need to show some respect. Stay out of my private space, and stay away from my cat. And Blaine? Don't ever pull something like this again."

He doesn't just mean the invasion of privacy, and the manhandling of Salieri, but the whole visit. For the sullen looks directed his way Kurt's pretty sure Blaine gets it.

That night Kurt curls up not with his ex – as he's sure Blaine was hoping for – but with a purring Salieri. As he falls asleep it's with a new resolve burned into his mind: to never get involved with someone who won't respect his cat.

~The End ~


	3. Judge, Jury and

Disclaimer: I own nothing except an overactive imagination and way too many plotbunnies.

 **Judge, Jury, and...**

Kurt's made his share of mistakes – some worse than others – and he knows it. He also likes to think that he's learned from those mistakes, that he's no longer as naïve or as blind or careless as he once was.

That's why, after his third coffee date with Adam, Kurt invites the Brit over to the loft.

(That's also why he makes it **very** clear that the only thing on the menu is baked goods, and ensures that they won't be alone. Rachel and he might have their issues, but she does know how to be a friend – she just needs to be reminded at times – and is more than able to first call 911 and then hit someone over the head with a baseball bat if needed.

Not that Kurt think it will be, but. Lessons. Learned.)

When Adam knocks on the door Salieri, per his usual MO, jumps off of Kurt's lap and takes off. That's fine though. Because this? All of this? It's a test. Adam's already passed the first part, the "oh right, I have a cat, is that a problem for you?" one, but there are so many more parts to it.

Maybe it's not fair, to test Adam this way, but Kurt's been burned, and as much as he wants to trust people doing so doesn't come as easily these days.

So he does his usual host routine; hangs up Adam's jacket, points out the various parts of the loft, "bathroom, kitchen, Santana's stuff – don't touch it if you want to live – my space, Rachel's – she's promised not to be too loud, but" before telling Adam to make himself at home while Kurt gets the coffee.

When he reenters the living room area Adam's not sitting on the couch as expected, and Kurt's heart sinks. Yes, it's possible that Adam went to the bathroom, but in Kurt's experience it's far more likely that he's "looking around". _Snooping around_ , his inner voice whispers. _Invading your space, going through your things. Like Blaine_.

He rounds the couch, determined to be a good host anyway – until it's acceptable to throw Adam out – only to be met by an unexpected sight.

Adam's on the floor – crouched down and still, with one hand carefully stretched out in front of him – and so's Salieri. Kurt's ridiculously unsocial cat is standing just inches away from this new person, sniffing the air. And then he leaps.

It's not, as Kurt first fears, an attack. Salieri's being as careful as he can when he lands on Adam's shoulder, and even though they both wobble a bit there doesn't seem to be any claws involved. Instead he balances himself with small adjustments, and a swish of his tail, before carefully moving a little and then stretching himself out across Adam's shoulders.

Then he closes his eyes, flicks his tail into position, and gives off a content purr.

Adam seems a bit shocked, but Kurt... Kurt's about to drop the tea mugs. Salieri **never** acts this way. No one except Kurt gets this treatment – not even Kurt's dad, who's no2 on Salieri's list. Only now apparently Adam does too.

 _Well then._

Adam spends the next hour with a "Salieri collar", and honestly looks happy for it. They talk, and laugh, and share stories, and by the time Adam gets up to leave Kurt's more than a little sad to see him go.

"Would you... Would you like to go see a movie this weekend? Or some other night, if that fits better. Just, some evening, just the two of us?"

That's as forward as Kurt can bring himself to be, at this point. It's Adam's move now.

Adam, who's smiling but also has an appraising look on his face.

"Why do I get the feeling that I just passed some kind of test?"

"Because you did? Sorry, but, you really can't be too safe these days, can you?"

He gets a half-shrug, half-nod in response, conveying something like "point", but Adam's still smiling so Kurt figures he's not feeling insulted.

"So your cat is your, what, character judge?"

"Judge and jury," Kurt quips.

Adam's eyebrows twitch a little, as if he wants to ask if Salieri also acts as the last part of that trio but holds back, and Kurt's treated to a quick flashback of Christmas and Blaine's bleeding hands. Yes, Salieri is more than capable of being executioner as well. So he just sends Adam an enigmatic smile.

"I'd love to go out with you, by the way. I'll check my calender and call you? Bye Kurt," and Adam raises his voice a little, "bye Salieri! Thanks for the character reference!"

.

Yes, Kurt thinks later that night, stretched out across his bed with Salieri as a comforting weight across his back, he's made mistakes. Lots, even. Adopting Salieri was never one of them, and, he begins to believe, neither will letting Adam in be.

~The End ~


End file.
